Since I'm really just learning all this I'm kind of curious. The last three weeks or so I've kept my little Midland gmrs radio on just to see what channels are active and 100% of the traffic I pick up is on 1 channel, channel 21. I've heard folks from as far away as St.Paul Minn area, a couple people from Iowa and a few from southern Illinois as well as tons from around the southeast and middle of wisconsin though no one in my immediate area of Racine or Kenosha. Durring the riots i couldnt pick up anything from Kenosha. I guess that's what's got me a little curious. Why cant I pick up stuff in Kenosha or Racine but I can pick up people from other states talking to people here in southeast wisconsin? I know u can use repeaters on gmrs and all that but I thought range was still somewhat limited.

Tropospheric  ducting?

Ok. But what about the not being able to pick up more localised traffic. Seem a to me that would mean I'd be able to pick up the local stuff better too.

Not that this has anything to do with the phenomenon you are experiencing,
but I did not realize there was a such thing as GMRS repeaters:

https://www.repeaterbook.com/gmrs/index.php?state_id=none

Did not realize nationally linked GMRS repeaters was a thing too:

https://www.repeaterbook.com/gmrs/details.php?state_id=55&ID=13

Mygmrs.com have repeater lists.

Very interesting.

I’d say it’s a linked system. Here in Ga there is a large linked system called North Ga GMRS. Think you have to pay to use it which I think is great.

https://nggmrs.org/

Welcome to the most fascinating aspect of ham radio -- propagation.

Wonderous things can happen given the right circumstances.

During one good Tropo event, I sat on the porch of a cottage in Myrtle Beach and worked stations from New England to Florida -- using a handitalky.

I'd agree.

https://mwgmrs.com/

If it's consistent, then it's a linked system.

If it's something that comes and goes, mostly in the early mornings, it's tropospheric ducting aka "tropo".

There's an automated propagation map using amateur APRS traffic, which is on VHF so may not exactly track with tropo you see on UHF but it would give you an idea:
http://aprs.mennolink.org/

I'm going to guess linked system on this. Traffic is fairly consistent and the signal is always pretty strong regardless of time of day.

Well that right there would explain it lol. That's pretty cool.

Yeah, there are tons of GMRS repeaters, but very few of them are on significantly elevated structures, and being limited to 50 watts on UHF, they usually don't propagate any siginificant distance.  I can receive 2 of them around 30 miles from me that ARE on high towers.  I think both are run by local REACT organizations and that's how they got space on real tower structures.  A different one closer to me the owner explained the repeater was in his basement and the antenna was on his privacy fence in his back yard.  Another local guy with a GMRS repeater has the antenna in his attic.  If I recall there is an antenna restriction in Part 95 that says the top of the antenna element can't be more than 20 feet above the structure supporting it - and the GMRS guys often misinterpret it as not legal to be more than 20 feet above ground level.  

ETA:  and the GMRS guys generally don't understand much about line loss in antenna lead - and on UHF, line loss and lack of antenna height, well that's about it, not much better than a vehicle mounted unit

What kind of traffic is in those linked systems? Same as ham or what?

Skip.

Cloud layer caused the signal to propagate a long distance.

Seems to be just normal stuff. A few people seem to know one another pretty well heard a couple people that are new to the while thing.

Something I caught last night is that apparently besides the several area nets they do weekly there is also apparently a national one that they do. I didn't catch the day or time though. That kind of blows my mind a bit because I never really thought that something like that was doable with gmrs but maybe that just shows my lack of knowledge about all this stuff too lol.

On a side note I hunt on the west side of Wisconsin and a couple of our favorite spots have no cell coverage. Knowing this linked system is active is really nice because I know it's monitored and if we have an emergency I now know I can get help if something goes sideways. Suposed to go do a little scouting trip soon and i plan to see what I can pick up on the radio while were out there to verify things.

I get GMRS traffic from Mexico!

Of course I'm only 3 miles away, so........